Heron & Fox

Another macro shot of amethyst crystal specimen. Amethyst is a type of quartz, crystalline silicon dioxide (SiO2), which contains inclusions of iron on the crystal. This view focuses on a transition from the purple crystal to a yellow-clear crystal, and the greenish rock matrix.

A macro shot of a specimen of anthracite coal. Anthracite is the hardest form of coal, and has been metamorphized by heat and pressure. Anthracite is by far the cleanest-burning coal, with the fewest toxic inclusions like mercury and lead, and produces the least carbon monoxide. Thus, it is highly desirable in coal stoves in homes, making it far too expensive for electricity production. The rock has cleaved in even and uneven lines. This view shows some of the inclusions and the fracturing.

A cluster of flowers on a society garlic plant. The tulbaghia violacea, though sometimes called “wild garlic,” is not garlic and may be mildly toxic in high doses, though the Zulu people of Africa, where the plant is native, use its leaves as a kind of salad green. This macro view highlights a small number of small, purple flowers on top of a stalk, with the background harshly out of focus, giving the appearance that the flowers are supported by nothing and simply hang in the middle third of the image.

Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz (silicon dioxide SiO2) where the crystal has been subjected to natural irradiation by unstable elements in the Earth's crust, or where iron or other transition metals have been included in the crystal. This picture focuses a macro view on a partial termination of a crystal point, with the rest of the crystal out of focus in the background. The rocky matrix on which the crystal grew is also visible at the edges.